England paceman Gus Atkinson was axed with Josh Tongue replacing him for the third Ashes Test against Australia in Adelaide starting Wednesday as the tourists battle to keep the series alive.
It was their only change for a must-win match, with off-spinning allrounder Will Jacks keeping his place ahead of Shoaib Bashir.
Atkinson struggled in eight-wicket defeats at Perth and Brisbane, clobbered for 236 with just three wickets to show for it. He went wicketless in the first Test.
Nottinghamshire’s Tongue will play his seventh Test to complement a pace attack led by Jofra Archer, skipper Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse, who was expensive at the Gabba.
Bashir’s omission for a third straight Test was a surprise.
He was considered England’s number one spinner leading into the tour, but was overlooked in an all-pace attack for Perth, then Jacks got the nod in Brisbane.
Jacks only bowled 11.3 overs at the Gabba, taking 1-34, but was composed with the bat, cracking a gritty 41 in the second innings in a 96-run stand with Stokes.
It is a big call by England.
Spin is likely to play a role in Adelaide with extreme temperatures forecast during a Test they must win to avoid a crushing series defeat with two Tests to play.
England kept faith with their misfiring top seven, giving the under-performing Ollie Pope another crack at number three in preference to Jacob Bethell.
“Knee-jerk reactions and chopping and changing settled batting line-ups is not really our way,” coach Brendon McCullum said on Sunday.
“We know we haven’t got enough runs so far in the series. But for us to go on and win the series it’s not about throwing out what’s been successful for us over the past few years.”
Only Joe Root has an average above 30 through the first two Tests against an attack led by Mitchell Starc, who has taken 18 wickets so far.
Australia will be bolstered by the return of skipper and pace spearhead Pat Cummins in Adelaide and Harry Brook said it was imperative that England step up.
“You can’t take this bowling attack lightly,” said the usually prolific 26-year-old, who has failed to fire so far.
“They don’t miss often and you’ve got to tip your hat to them, they’ve bowled really well this series.”
England team: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue
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